Herds
by Beach50
Summary: Thousands upon thousands of years ago lived a tribe of nomadic herders. As they began moving their herd of cattle, a horse approached them. This horse was carrying someone, who had just lost everything, but learned he would gain a lot more.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is going to be a two to three chapter story. I'm really enjoying this story. I think it's a very cute innocent way people had to go about things then. This chapter is a smig slow for me, but it's really good I like it.**

 **For those of you who are reading My Prince Charming and Three Million I am still working on them. Three Million has one chapter left, and My Prince charming is going to have at most 4 I think.**

I sat on the ground, working on the hide I had been thinning for the past few days. I wiped the sweat from my brow, as I sat against the soft grass. My eyes turned to the large herd of cattle that was being tamed in front of me. The men all take shifts watching them, not that any of our cattle would run away. They can't fend for themselves, and they love our men. We take good care of them.

"Clary!" My mother called for me from my family's tent. I picked myself up, dusting myself off, as I wandered to my home. I slipped into the small tent, drifting towards my mom.

"Yes?" I hummed, plopping down next to her.

"You need to help me prepare dinner." She smiled, stripping the outer shells off the maize. "Cut the berries." She gestured to the basket next to me. I grabbed my knife, carefully cutting them in half. The red juices spilled over my fingers, and I sucked the sweet flavoring from my fingers. I grinned, plopping on of the red berries into my mouth. "I always love getting these here. I think it's the only place we ever find them." I hummed, holding one out for my mother.

"I'll eat later." She waved my hand away, so I ate another one. "I have been thinking..." My mother trailed off, glancing away from me.

"You've been thinking what?" I smirked teasingly, challenging her to speak her mind.

"That it was about time you laid with someone." She shrugged her shoulders, continuing to strip the outer shells of the maize.

"Like who?" I scoffed, shaking my head.

"Alec is very handsome. He would be a good father." She suggested, giving me a curious look.

"He also prefers hunters, if you hadn't noticed." I snorted, putting more berries into the opposite bowl.

"So, he could provide. He's nice." She gritted her teeth, knowing that it wasn't a valid enough reason to be with him.

"I want someone to be my mate mom. I want to be one with someone. I don't want someone to just give me their semen. I want what you and dad have. A family." I continued doing my task, knowing I wanted more then to just be with child.

"I guess that's a good thing. I just don't know when you will find someone your age, who you will like. I mean there is Mark, but I assume he'll go with Aline since her and Helena have that thing going on." She sighed, stopping what she was doing. "Maybe we could add another family who has a small flock somewhere?" She bit her lip, pondering the idea. "I think your brother is interested to you in that way, but I would consider that the last resort." She added softly.

"No, I don't like the idea of being with Jonathan." I rolled my eyes, knowing he would be difficult to be with. He is the only person in our little tribe to still hunt. I guess it's a good thing though because we don't have to kill our cattle once a week. They can live a little longer, and we can sell them to some of the farms we pass.

"He is very peculiar isn't he?" She sighed, as my father slipped into the tent.

"You aren't talking about me now." My father chuckled, holding out a piece of meat to my mother.

"This is a good piece." She took it from him and set it in a pot that was placed over the fire.

"I know. I practically had to attack Robert for this." My father grinned, sitting across from us, as he started the fire.

OoOoO

Today we headed towards another common place we stayed. This area had a beautiful lake, so I was going to wash the hide I was working on. It was a long process, but it was worth it. I had a pack on my back, as we walked down the plains. "Hey." Izzy run up next to me, smiling widely.

"Hey." I grinned, holding onto the straps of my bag.

"I've been speaking to Sebastian a lot lately." She took a deep breath, glancing over at him.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering where this was going.

"He's a good man. He could take care of me." She hummed, still watching him, as he steered a few stray calls back to the group.

"What happened to that farmer boy you were with a few moons ago." I smirked, knowing she liked most men. She wasn't extremely particular, and she wasn't a fan of having just one man, which is perfectly fine.

"We haven't seen him in forever, if he was to come with us or I stay with him I might stick with him." She snorted, rolling her eyes.

"We will be there soon. We are on our way back in two stops. Wait for him. You really enjoyed and like him." I assured her.

"Maybe your right." She shrugged her shoulder, before her face looked all confused.

"What is it?" I asked, turning my gaze towards hers. There was a lone horse riding towards us. "Is there someone on that?" I squinted my eyes, seeing a male figure fall off the beast. "Crap!" I sprinted towards the man, while my father and Robert's horse surged ahead of me. I made it to them seconds later, and slid onto the ground next to them. The man was young and covered in blood. There were gashes along his left shoulder, which blood was seeping out of. He was pale, which didn't seem quite right for his color, but I wasn't quite sure. "What happen?" I glanced over at my father, who was pressing his hands to the wounds.

"I don't know." He sighed, turning his eyes up to mine. "Can you go find some Calendula and Goldenseal this wound is infected? Robert tell the others we are setting up camp here." He ordered, as I pushed myself up to my feet. I scurried into the woods searching for two different types of pretty flowers. I hurried through the woods scouring it for these small flowers. I collapse to my knees when I find them. I dig through them, smelling them to make sure they are the right herb. This is just Calendula I still need to find Goldenseal. A little while later, I find what I need. I race back to the area where the man lain almost dead. I skid to the ground next to my father, who is rinsing the man's wounds.

"I didn't know how much you needed, so I grabbed as much as I could carry." I told him, holding it out to him.

"That's perfect, Angel." He smiled slightly at me, lifting his hands from the wound. It was a deep gash. I was hopeful that it wouldn't be as bad as it looked, but it was deep and clean. "What do you think did this?" My father asked, rising more blood away from his skin.

"It's too clean to have happened from something like us." I breathed, examining it in more detail. There were three parallel gashes. "An animal. Maybe a saber tooth?" I looked up at him for approval.

"Very good." He hummed. "See this part over here." He pointed to a discolored area in the wound. I nodded silently. "The wound is making him sick. That's what these are for." He pointed to the flowers, as he stood up, hoisting the man's good arm over his shoulder. "We are going to take him to our tent and you are going to tend to him." He told me, walking him and the man back to our home.

"Father, I've never done this alone." I quickly followed him, feeling my nerves begin to grow at the idea of healing someone on my own.

"Yes, but you have watched me plenty of time." He grunted, as he pushed through the flap of the tent.

"I prepared an extra bed right there." My mother pointed out. My father gently laid the man on the bed, and told my mother to help set up the rest of camp with him. I was left alone in our home with herbs and a dying man. It wasn't bleeding as bad. Mostly oozing. I ground up the herbs into a powder and added some water to make it a paste. It cupped it up with my hands to sooth it along the warm gashes. He flinched heavily, making me pull back my hand, as he sat up. Crap, what do I do?! He groaned loudly, reaching for his arm.

"Don't touch it!" I exclaimed, catching his hand. "You need to lie back down." I nudged his good shoulder down lightly, but he was hissing in pain.

"What happened? Who are you?" He fought me, trying to forget away the hurt in his arm.

"I am Clary. You fell off your horse in front of my herd. I'm taking care of you. Now lay down!" I said rather forcefully. "I think we have some willows bark in here." I hummed, as he finally listened to me. I dug around in my father's bag, feeling even more nervous about caring for him. I gave him the bark, and he looked at it strangely. "Chew on it. It takes away the pain." I gathered up more of the herb paste, as I held down his bad arm, and gently embedded it in the wound. He cringed in pain, which made his back lift off the ground slightly. "Sorry. Sorry." I gritted my teeth, finally covering his whole wound with the herb paste. He sagged in relief, when I drew my hand away. I dropped my hands lightly in a bucket of water to rinse the mixture of flower petals and blood off my fingers. "Is the bark working?" I asked softly, lightly laying my hand across his forehead. His skin was hot. Hotter than most.

"Yeah, I think so." He mumbled, as his eyes started shutting.

"You need to stay awake right now." I brushed his sweat covered hair away from his brow, beginning to realize how handsome he looked even though he was ill.

"Why?" He mumbled, leaving his eyes shut.

"Because you could drift to another world while you sleep, one that you are much too young to venture into." I breathed, knowing he was still a wake. He was carefully chewing the bark that was lodged in the side of his cheek.

"What does it matter if I go to another world? My whole family is already there waiting for me." His eyes opened, locking onto mine.

"We are all family under the sun and moon." I smiled faintly, stroking his hair gently. "Does it still hurt?" My eyes flicked to the wound.

"No." He inhaled a deep breath, before yawning rather forcefully.

"I'll take the willow bark back. If you have too much of it, it could kill you." I warned, as he took it out of his mouth. I plopped it in the bucket of water to clean. "If I go get you water and some food, will you still be awake when I return?" I questioned kindly.

"I will try." He mumbled softly, watching me as I got to my feet.

"I'll be right back." I brushed my legs off, and grabbed a water skin. I stepped out of the tent, seeing the rest of my clan sitting close by. "He was awake and talking he should be fine in a few days. I'm going to fetch him some water." I announced, as I walked into the woods again. There was a large pond not too far from this location, so I went there. I filled up the skin, taking a large drink for myself, before I refilled it again. Healing someone is apparently hard work. As I walked back, I gathered berries in a pouch on my clothes. I found the most succulent berries to give to him because the best pieces of food would heal him faster. When I finally arrived back at the tent, I realized the sun was setting. I was gone most of the afternoon, and my hopes of him staying conscious disappeared. I entered the tent, seeing that my family wasn't in there. There were two pelts laid out. One was occupied by the man, and the other I guess is for me.

"Your back." His voice was hoarse when he spoke, probably from a lack of water.

"I didn't mean to take so long, when I am in the woods I tend to get lost in my head." I breathed, sitting on my knees in front of him.

"It's ok you're here now." He licked his dry lips, seeming almost completely exhausted.

"Here." I tipped the head of the skin into his mouth, and he drank it greedily. It made me wonder how long he had been on that horse. Minutes? Hours? Days? His good hand reached up, squeezing the porch full of liquid, emptying it into his mouth. He sighed contently, dropping his head back down the pelt provided to him. "Better?" I asked seeing it aside, as I pulled out the fruit.

"Yes." He nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Good, here's some food." I placed half of it in his hands, and kept the other half.

"Thank you for your kindness." He whispered, bringing the berries to his mouth.

"As I said we are all-"

"Family under the sun and moon." A small grin ghosted over his lips, as he began eating. "Beautiful healer what is my family's name?" He questioned, gazing up at me with wonder glinting in his eyes.

"Clary." My name escaped my mouth in a gust of breath, feeling completely bewildered at the way he welcomed me.

"That's a pretty name. Like Clary Sage. I always like the smell of that herb." He hummed, plopping another piece of fruit into his mouth. I felt my cheeks warm in a way they hadn't before, beginning to feel slightly flustered.

"And you are?" I raised an eye brow, wondering if this was the kind of man he was.

"Jace." He told me in a soft voice.

"Now that your belly is full and your thirst quenched, you may sleep and wake to this world, not another." I said quickly, getting to my feet.

"I think I want to wake this world now." He murmured, as I settled myself on my pelt. I felt my face get even hotter, while I pulled the fur up to my neck.

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked it! As I said there should be 2 more chapters I think. I'm learning about Homo Sapiens and the such in world history, and for once I found this stuff to be interesting.**

 **How was it?**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, I hope you guys like this chapter!**

A few days I had gone by, and Jace was healing nicely. His color was slowly coming back, which is a sign of good health. As he healed, my flustered cheeks and stammered words never went away. I was nervous around him for some reason, but I wanted to spend time with him. He was so much more interesting than everyone else here because he was new. I haven't known him since birth. I haven't seen him around my whole life. I get to learn about him in a way that I have never done with anyone else, and that made him special. I hoped I was special to him too.

We spent most of the day alone together. He hadn't been around here for long enough to work with the herd, so he spends time gathering with the women. He needs to be trained before he can work with the men, and he isn't well enough for chasing down cattle. He was finally healthy enough for us to move, so we finally were able to get a change in scenery. I adjusted my pack on my back, as we walked the next to the herd. Jace was further forward then me on his horse, talking to my father. He was starting to fit in nicely. My father agreed to take him in as one of our own, which I was thankful for. He flipped the horse around, cantering next to me. I kept my eyes forward, not wanting to have to crane my neck to look up at him.

"You want to ride?" He extended his good arm down to me, which was at eye line with me.

"No, I'm ok." I blushed, turning my eyes up towards him. I don't think I could ride a horse. They are so much bigger then I am.

"We've been walking for hours. Your feet have to hurt. Get up here." He chuckled, extending a kind gesture towards me. His hand was left extended towards me, urging me to climb on with him.

"I've never ridden a horse." My face felt hot, knowing that it would make me feel even funnier to be that close to him.

"Well, I'm here, so I'll protect you." He grinned kindly, encouraging me even more to get on there with him. I mingled my fingers with his, letting him pull me onto the horse behind him. I held onto him tightly, resting my cheek on his back. I could feel my heart racing faster in my chest, as I clasped my hands together in front of him to keep me steady. "Better?" He questioned, glancing back at me.

"Yeah." I grinned faintly, holding onto him. My face was probably as red as my hair by now, which was a bad thing. At least Jace wasn't looking at me.

"You guys have 4 horses. How have you never ridden one?" He questioned, keeping his hands gripped on the horse's fur, so he could steer it.

"My dad and brother normally use it." I shrugged, holding onto him even tighter as we started moving faster. This is terrifying. I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining I was closer to the ground.

OoOoO

When the sun started to set, our clan decided to make camp. I slid off Jace's horse, feeling wobbly, as I tried to adjust back to walking. My inner thighs were sore, which made me spread them very far apart to walk comfortably. Jace chuckled from behind me, as he hopped off his horse. "Maybe I shouldn't have let you ride so long." He teased, rubbing his horse's mane.

"Maybe." I giggled at my awkward state, holding onto his arm for some support, as we waited for them to set up the camp. Normally I would help, but I can hardly move right now.

"Here." He scooped me up into his arms, holding me close to him. I snickered violently, curling into him. He's actually holding me. He was carrying me back to the tent. What in the world? Why is he carrying me? He set me down by the big fire before plopping down next to me. We passed around the food, nibbling on it, as we all talked. My cheeks felt heated the whole time, as he gazed at me. The way he was looking at me made me feel like I was his prey. Not in a bad though. I don't know it was weird.

A few hours had gone by, and we were the only ones still awake. Jace was still smiling at me, as we whispered about our lives. He told me about his family. They were killed by a saber tooth, which was after their goats, and he was lucky to survive. I told him about the places I had seen.

"You know one of my favorite places ever is near here." I breathed, biting my lip.

"It is?" He challenged with a smirk across his face.

"Yep." I nodded,

"We should go there." He drew out slowly, pondering the idea.

"It's the middle of the night." I giggled, bringing my knees to my chest.

"So?" He shrugged, getting up. "Show it to me." He reached a hand out to me, and I took it.

"Ok." I grabbed a few pelts, following him out of the tent. His hand rested low on my back, as we walked, making my entire body feel like it was on fire. He was walking close to me. Too close for someone who is just a friend. I could feel the heat radiating off of him. I felt his eyes on me every few minutes, which made this walk seem much longer than normal.

We arrived at waterfall that I loved. I had never been here at night, which is one reason I brought the pelts. Laying out under the stars sounds amazing.

"You are right this is beautiful." He sighed contently, but he wasn't looking at the scenery. He was looking at me. I stood in front of him, starring up at his angelic face. I made a decision. I want him. He is handsome, smart, and funny, why wouldn't I want him? I think he wants me too. I took a deep breath, unbuttoning the buttons on my covering. I let it fall around my ankles, feeling a little exposed about being naked in front of someone else, but I pushed it aside. I stepped forward, untying his bottoms. I glanced up and down his body, not extremely familiar with male anatomy. I've seen a naked man a couple times, but Jace seemed almost different. He hadn't said anything to me yet, so I reached out, touching his chest lightly. His seemed so solid and firm. He was exceptional. He watched me slid my fingers along the contours of his muscles, and I pressed my palm against his body, feeling the hardness of his muscles. It was different then how a girl felt. I hummed, tangling my fingers into his chest hair. I was so curious about the man and body in front of me. I wanted to know more about it. I gripped his chest hair lightly, liking the way it felt against my fingers, as I twirled it around my finger. I bit my lip, finally locking my eyes with his.

"What are you doing?" He breathed, continuing to stand still in front of me. He wasn't fighting it, but he was questioning my motives.

"I'm getting in the water." I whispered, looking into his now seemingly dark eyes. I tangled one of my hands together with his, squeezing it lightly. "Join me?" I questioned, feeling my foot dip lightly into the cool water. I knew he wanted me now, but I felt like giving him a way out if he didn't want to. He took a step forward, following me into the water. I smiled faintly, letting the water move above my head. I released his fingers, pushing myself up out of the water. "This is my favorite place." I circled my arms lightly, keeping my head afloat. I'm sure Jace could touch just fine, which annoyed me a little, but I could get over it.

"I can see why." He glanced around the open spring, before turning his gaze over to me. I pushed up again, feeling slightly frustrated. "Here." He grinned, gripping my hips lightly. I jolt of heat shot through my body, making me gasp lightly. "You ok?" He murmured, circling his thumb around my soft skin.

"I'm fine." I looked up at him through my lashes, holding onto his shoulders for more support.

"Good." He murmured with a faint smile, leaning down slightly. I wrapped my arm around his neck completely, pulling myself up to mingle our mouths together. He wrapped his arms around my back, holding me flush against him. I whimpered against his lips, feeling overwhelmed by the sensation running through me. I drew away from him, biting down on my lip hard. I drifted away from him slightly, feeling my heart race violently in my chest. I couldn't get my smile to disappear off my face. I turned around, trying to compose myself just a little bit. Two strong arms wrapped around my waist, making me relax against his chest. "Have you ever been with anyone?" His hands splayed his hands across my hips, as he tenderly kissed my neck.

"No." I shook my head, reaching behind me to tangle my hand into his hair. "Have you?" I glanced up at him, seeing his eyes trace over me.

"A few times." He exhaled across my neck, making my shiver. "Do you want to?" He questioned softly, circling his arms around me completely.

"Yes." I inhaled deeply. I turned around, facing him once again. His hands slowly moved down my body, embracing my thighs to wrap them around his hips. He walked us out of the water, lying me on the pelts I had brought with us. I took a shaky breath, letting my feet drop to the ground. I ran my hands over his muscular back, dropping my head to the ground. His lips trailed along my jaw, as he weaved our fingers together, pinning my hands above my head. I moaned quietly, as his teeth clamped down lightly on my shoulder, which made my back arch away from the ground. I felt like my body was on fire, as he finally weaved our lips together. He sucked my lower lip into my mouth, nibbling on it lightly. "Jace." I gaped for breathed, shaking as I squeezed his hands tightly

 **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed. What did you think?**

 **The next chapter is the last chapter.**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! This is the last chapter! I love this story because it's so simple.**

 **To the person that asked yes they were naked when they took the first layer of clothes on last night. This is maybe 5th generation homo sapiens. There is no underwear. It is a pelt that is fixed to stay on, and once it's off it's naked.**

 **Please enjoy**

The night was long yesterday and completely worth it. Joined together as one with someone created a feeling I have never felt before. I craved for more it, yet I have to walk with my clan now. My legs felt still felt like jelly from the exertion they had yesterday, which I wasn't sure was a good thing or a bad. The saddest part of the whole thing was that when the sun rose, I woke alone. I don't understand why he left. Maybe he didn't want to get in trouble for being with me, but he still was gone. I made the short walk about, and he was talking to my father about who knows what. He hasn't even looked at since then.

I took a deep breath, keeping my gaze forward instead of behind me. He was riding only feet away from me. Maybe he just laid with me to lay with me. Many people do that, but I thought there was more. I thought we were friends, but now I don't know.

These thoughts plagued my mind, making me wonder if I did something wrong.

"Clary?" Isabelle walked up next to me, offering me a skin. "You look like you could use some." She nodded towards it. I took it from her, drinking the cool liquid. We have been moving for hours, and we won't stop until the sun begins to set.

"Thanks." I handed it back to her.

"What's wrong? You've seemed off all day." She mused, keeping her eyes on me.

"Nothing. I just-" I huffed in frustration, as I rolled my eyes. "I was with Jace last night." I said quickly, looked over at her.

"Like with _with_?" She bounced her eyebrows, trying to see if there was another meaning to what I was saying.

"Yes, and when I woke up he was gone and he hasn't spoken to me today." I glanced down, feeling my cheeks flame up.

"So? He probably had to get back to the herd before the men woke up to help pack up camp." She told me, beginning to talk quietly. "How was it?" She questioned with a smile.

"It was different then I thought it would be, but it was good." I grinned shyly, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"Just wait until you've tried other it's so-"

"I don't want to be with anyone else. I want my other half Iz." I exhaled in frustration, dropping my head back. "I don't know why I did it last night. I just felt like I needed him right there, and I took him. It was so hot and..." I trailed off, starting to feel my stomach burn at the thought of it.

"I understand." Izzy held out her hand for me. I weaved our fingers together, knowing she understood. We all want that special someone in our lives, and she has had so many leave her.

"I just want him." I murmured a small breath, leaning against her.

"If you want him, get him." She encouraged. "Mark your territory. Show him that he is yours."

OoOoO

We set up camp again, and even though we weren't speaking to one another Jace and I were the last ones awake. Our heated gazes flicked to and away from one another, as I thought about how to do this. I got to my feet, dusting off my legs. I shifted awkwardly, before walking around the fire to rest my hand on Jace shoulder for a second. I took my hand off, continuing towards the exit. My eyes connected with his once more, as I stepped out. I knew he would follow me. If not for wanting more of me, then out of pure curiosity. I heard his footsteps behind me seconds later, and I kept walking towards a more isolated area.

I stopped when we're surrounded by trees on all sides. I took a deep calming breath before I turned around to face him. His golden locks were paled by the moon, but they still looked brilliant. His eyes were dark with desire or maybe something else. I wanted to reach out, and memorize the way he would feel under my fingers. I knew I couldn't do that. At least not yet.

"Jace?" I exhaled a longing breath, praying that he needs me as much as I need him. He didn't say a word. His head cocked to the side with a questioning look in his eyes, as if he was trying to look into my mind, trying to decipher my unspoken words. I brought a worried lip between my teeth, as I thought. His eyes glazed over mine, making my stomach flutter anxiously.

"Why did you bring here?" His voice finally spoke, sending my heart into a frenzy.

"You left me. This morning. You left." I said in barely a whisper, not knowing if he even heard me. "You laid with me under the moon and the stars. We became one." I breathed, as took his hand, placing it over my heart. His hand was warm, and his eyes were softened by my words. "Do you not feel it here as well?" I breathed, gazing up at him under my lashes. My heart thumped rapidly, as he stepped forward, filling most of the empty space between us. His proximity made me hotter than I was before, making my words feel jumbled. "I am yours, and you are mine." I voice cracked, as I set my hand on his chest. I could feel his tense muscles coil under his skin, as he looked at me with uncertain eyes. "Do you not want me?" My voice was raw with the anguish at that thought, but I know he wants me. He's shown me, he's worshiped me, yet now he avoids me, which makes no sense to me. "Jace-" His lips connected with mine intensely, making me stumble back against a tree. I felt like I couldn't stand because of the force of the kiss he was giving me. His hand cupped my neck gently, leading me into a deeper kiss. I knew it. He wants me. He cares for me. Our mouths clashed together passionately, as we nipped at one another. I pushed my hands against his chest, making him take a step back because I wanted a verbal promise. I wanted this to be official, something that no one can get in the way of. "Tell me I am your one and only." I gaped for breath, dropping my head against the tree.

"You are my one and only." His hands cupped my cheeks, and I smiled widely at his words.

"Embrace me." I brushed my nose against his, as I propped myself on my tippy toes. He tangled our mouths together slowly, lifting up my legs to wrap around his hips. This time was different then the first. It felt more powerful. More binding. I knew this connection would be eternal. I knew he would be there for me always.

 **A/N: I hoped you guys liked it!**

 **Please review!**


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